East Lansing High School moves forward with LGBTQ inclusion

Zoe Aho, who supports the district's inclusion police, spoke at the anti-gun walkout at East Lansing High School on March 14.

Conversation about inclusion, safety and promoting better environments for LGBTQ students dominated the East Lansing School Board’s March 26 meeting. Those changes, people said, would help all students.

Mary Ellen Vrbanac, the district’s sex education director, stood before the board during the public hearing section to elaborate and lead the discussion.

Vrbanac said that the work of the Sex Education Advisory Board to improve sexual health education for all students is made possible by community support.

“The hope is to provide all students with the knowledge, skills and resources to live healthy lives,” Vrbanac said.

Nell Kuhnmuench, who has been a long-time member of the board, supported the ideas Vrbanac brought up. Kuhnmuench said the issue had been something she’s been wanting to focus on for a long time, and it provides security for all students, including LGBTQ.

Zoe Aho, sophomore at East Lansing High School, has talked often to her friends about the frustration surrounding the fact that health classes don’t always address LGBT issues.

“It’s difficult to know we’ll always have to rely on other sources,” Aho said. “But, this change is something that I love about East Lansing High School.”

Aho said it’s just another step to creating a more diverse and accepting atmosphere for students, as well as the community.

Wolfgang is a journalism major at Michigan State University and expects to graduate in 2020. He is the Assistant Editor-in-Chief of VIM Magazine at MSU, runs his own blog at itswolfgangruth.com and keeps up with the Kardashians daily. Wolfgang will be an intern at POPSUGAR and NYLON Magazine in the summer of 2018.

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